Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-07-22
UNDER ETHER.
An Experience with the Anaesthetie for a
Surgical Operation


Surgical Operation.
A writer in the Pail Mail Gazette says: /
Sunday at 1:50 was the hour fixed on for !
the operation. 1t is q curious sensation, |
feeling perfectly well and sound in wind !
and limb, to sit waiting for a man to |
whom you are to surrender velition, con-
sciousness-in fact everything but life /
itself-while he cuts and caryes at you /
with his knives and lancets.
Soon after the hour named two serious, /
frock-eoated gentlemen, with om:nous /
little black bags in their hands, were an !
nounced. The surgeon declared that the |
operation must be performed in bed. So |
We pulled the bedstead into the most con-
venient position for catching the lights
from the window, and when he had re-
tired l began 10 undress. No time was
lost; the surgeon and doctor came in. and
began to arrange their tackle for work.
The doctor got out his ether apparatus,
and soon compounded q smell like a
photographers shop in olden days, while
out of the corner of my eye l could see
the surgeon, who had taken off his coat
and pulled some guards over his wrists
and arms, arranging his weapons in
neat row on the dressing table. When
the doctor had got his machine ready he
placed 1t over my nose and mouth, with
instructions to breathe deeply two or
three times. The apparatus used for
giving ether consists of q box in
which the compound is placed, and
an oval india-rubber mask, very
plant and flexible, projecting
from it, with a tap which allows communi-
cation between the two parts to be cut off
or established at will. The mask part was
placed over my face and inhaled deeply
once or twice, with the only result that |
was seized with choking cough, which,
however, was soon followed by pleasant
and restful sensation. l felt as if l were
gently doing off on a warm Summers
day, so l closed my eyes and placed my
arms down by sides that they might not
interfere with my breathing. The doctor
bent over me and raised an eyelid, but l
was wide enough awake TO say. Not yet,
doctor" 1 was rapidly going, though,
and felt was beginning to lose conscious
ness. The light seemed gently to fade
away, giving place to darkness that
was not awful or horrible, but soft and
restful. There was ne giddiness or sing
Ing in the ears, but silence and darkness
settled down over me, and then red veil
seemed to come from between my eyes
anu W uOdb away lIllO lnS luSAS casing
gloom, gradually diminished to a red spot
the only speck of light left. Slowly this
faded away, and sight, hearing, volition
and every sense with it. | had a dim con-
seriousness of existence, but my very life
seemed far away, buried under masses of
soft darkness. l do not know whether |
spoke, but my brain was q blank, and not
a thought crossed my mind. All was
numb, dead and still, the silence of the
grave, but with a faint, indetinable con
seriousness somewhere that this was not
death, but only the suspension of life.
Darkness was all around; not darkness
that might be felt but one that filled
everything, covered everything and blot
ted out everything with black, impalpa-
| bic and all pervadlng presence.
Gradually and saftly as it went the
light cams back again, with no startled
wonder as to where | was, for almost be-
fore [ could shape a thought l instinct
lively remembered ny position, and knew
that the operation vas over. The figures
IN tho room grew distinct and clear. |
half rose up in bed, and then a hOrrid
feeling of nausea and pain rushed upon
me. had lain down strong and well; |
woke up weak and thrObbing with pain
| under my bandages, and with a sickness
such as | had believed could only be pro
duced in Alderney Race on board a cattle
| boat
Splendid" cried :he surgeon, cheer.
fully, 'all over, first ratem and he turned
down his shirt sleeves after tossing away
the towel with which he had dried his
hands. My first thought was to ask the
time. "Not much more than quarter of
! an hour over it," was the reply; Il dare
say you'll go to sleep now; goodbye"
During my trance they had cut me and
carved me. sewed me up and banddged me
without my even knowing that had been
touched, but [ could hardly feel grateful
to the an@sthetic, for the nausea it pro
duced was so intense. My mouth, throat
and lungs felt coated with ether and dried
with smoke, and I could we'll imagine
what the mouth of a photographers hoy
would be like after prolonged debauch
on brown paper cigars. soaked in c9llod-
ion. Still, the ether had saved me from
much suffering, and, what was of more
Importance, had prevented the skill of
the operator being baked by any finch
ing. Everything had been done swiftly,
skillfully and with no fear of the patient
wircing or moving. The knife Is sure
and sharp nowadays, and does not bungie